Algae Problems

[zorfdt]

I hate to post yet another "Help, I'm overrun by algae" thread, but after reading a bunch of the other posts, I'm more confused than when I started.

I have a 40gal tank with a bunch of happy fish and one bristlenose pleco (not that he's not happy, but he's the only algae eater in the bunch). The tank was lightly planted a while ago, when I did my research and invested in a compact florescent light (2x40w 6700/10000K Sunpaq dual daylight lamps) and planted the tank more heavily. I also added a PlantGro C02 system (the kind with the sugar and tablets). As well, some Florabase (I think that's what it was called) was added to the gravel for the plants to root into. Once a week I'm adding Kent freshwater plant fertilizer ("Formula K-Fe Micronutrient plant supplement with potassium and iron")

The lights were on 12 hours a day (now reduced to 10hrs) and I was worried the poor fish might end up with sunburns since the old light was a 15w tube.

Anyway, with all my planning and research, I now have a coating of what appears to be green slime algae on all the gravel and brown algae on the plant leaves. The pleco can't keep up!

Water testing shows zero Nitrite, 40ppm Nitrate, 150ppm GH, 40ppm KH.

Any ideas/solutions?

Thanks in advance!

-Mike

 

[phanmc]

Are you doing weekly water changes? Excess nutrients and organic wastes can lead to cyanobacteria.

What kind of plants do you have? Are they fast growers?

What's your pH lvl?

 

[zorfdt]

The pH is 6.4 (low, but it's been there since day one)

I have a variety of plants, most I don't know their names, though there are some swords. Most of them are pretty fast growers.

I do water changes about every 3 weeks - I watch the Nitrates and use that as an indication as to when to do a partial water change. Should I do it more often?

Thanks!
-Mike

 

[phanmc]

With a pH of 6.4 and a kH of 40ppm, your CO2 levels look good at 26ppm.

However, having a nitrate lvl of 40ppm in a moderately lighted tank with fast growing plants indicate that the plants aren't doing a good job of sucking up the nitrates or that nitrate is being generated faster than they can consume. In some planted tanks, people have to add nitrates in order to feed their plants because the plants consume them faster than what the fish generates. Because of that reason, using nitrates as an indicator for water change is a bad idea in a planted tank.

Try switching to a weekly water change routine. A water change is important in a planted tank because it refreshes the tank with nutrients within your tap water and also removes any excess nutrients that could have built up.

Also monitor your plant health to make sure they aren't turning yellow or turning translucent or other signs of poor health. If you start seeing signs, we'll need to discuss nutrients and fertilizing.

 

[beviking]

That's advice you can :dance: to!

 

[zorfdt]

Try switching to a weekly water change routine. A water change is important in a planted tank because it refreshes the tank with nutrients within your tap water and also removes any excess nutrients that could have built up.

I will do a 20% water change this evening and start doing it weekly (and cross my fingers).

Also monitor your plant health to make sure they aren't turning yellow or turning translucent or other signs of poor health. If you start seeing signs, we'll need to discuss nutrients and fertilizing.

They seem to be doing alright other than the coat of algae on them. Should I try to rub some of the algae off when I do the water change, or just let them be?

Thanks for your help. I appreciate it. (even if I'm not dancing)

-Mike

 

[phanmc]

Try changing a little more water than 20%, the more the better. I do weekly 50% but my tank is very high light tank and I dose ferts almost daily. YOu should still aim for around 25-40%.

If its not too much work, I'd rub off the algae but its not absolutely necessary. I'd do it just to make sure the plants get all the light they need.

 

[imhandy2]

Pretty good advice all around!

Are you doing weekly water changes? Excess nutrients and organic wastes can lead to cyanobacteria.

I have been battling bba in my planted 75 gallon, now come to think about it, it kinda started to take hold as I started to push the envelope with my water changes because all my levels were good. I lowered my co2 level from 35 to 24 ppm, adding plants, removing plants, increasing phosphates, nitrates, trace elements, all of wich I have tinkered with to starve the bba. I have noticed when pushing the envelope with my water changes, one thing did change, my karbonate hardness increases from 80 ppm to 105 ppm. I have been doing 10 g. water changes weekly for 2-3 weeks how and my kh is down to 90 ppm. kh and ph have, a relationship where one goes up or down, so does the other. both will determine your c02 level. Here is a site that has a co2 calculatorChuck's Planted Aquaria
I will give my tank a 30% change weekly.

Thanks for the light switch.

Terry.

 

[knashash]

zorfdt, what are your Phosphate levels? When my PO4 to NO3 levels got out of whack I had a nasty BGA slime algae problem. Getting these 2 factors in balance with each other in addition to a 3 day blackout on the tank should help your problem significantly. Once the slime algae takes hold, I have found it extremley difficult to eradicate without doing a blackout.